Eyewitness to Irish History - Paperback

by Peter Berresford Ellis (Author)

Through sources ranging from ancient forsundun (praise songs) and the hero kings to newspaper accounts, public decrees, and even graffiti, this book offers vivid portraits of major events and everyday life in Ireland through the centuries-beginning with Golamh, the legendary leader of the band of Iberian Celts who settled the island more than three thousand years ago, and concluding with gripping accounts by those on both sides of the bloody civil conflict in Northern Ireland.

Back Jacket

The history of Ireland told through the words of the people who lived it

"Eyewitness to Irish History" draws upon original source materials to capture the tumultuous events and rich texture of Irish history like no other book. Comparing the readings compiled here to snapshots, the renowned Celtic scholar Peter Berresford Ellis offers what is, in essence, a family album of Ireland and the Irish people--beginning with Golamh, the legendary leader of the band of Iberian Celts who settled the island more than three thousand years ago, and concluding with gripping firsthand accounts by those on both sides of the bloody civil conflict in Northern Ireland.

Through sources ranging from ancient forsundun (praise songs) and the hero kings to newspaper accounts, public decrees, and even graffiti, Eyewitness to Irish History touches on virtually every major event and offers vivid portraits of everyday life in Ireland through the centuries.

"A goldmine of information."
--"The Herald" (Glasgow)

"What an invaluable collection! [Ellis] gently guides readers through the centuries, but allows the eyewitnesses to tell their own stories. And they are riveting."
--Terry Golway, author of "For the Cause of Liberty: A Thousand Years of Ireland's Heroes"

"A powerful, expansive, and compelling compendium of the eyewitness in Irish history. This volume does full justice to [Ellis's] reputation as a prodigious researcher and judicial commentator on the great sweep of Irish history."
--Dr. Ruan O'Donnell, History Department, University of Limerick

Author Biography

PETER BERRESFORD ELLIS, "the pre-eminent Celtic scholar now writing" (Times Educational Supplement), is the author of many notable Irish histories, including "The Celts: A History." Under the pseudonym of Peter Tremayne, he is best known for his internationally bestselling Sister Fidelma mystery series set in seventh-century Ireland.